Comments on: Press Freedom http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/ It is all obvious or trivial except... Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:45:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Philip Thomas http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-10134 Philip Thomas Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:02:36 +0000 http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/#comment-10134 Errrr, doesn't all this nonsense overlook the fact that, even ignoring the weight issue, these women are much more attractive/stylish/striking than the typical woman and so represent an unachievable image anyway. Whilst the average person might aspire towards their look, to think you could completely achieve it is a fallacy that no amount of airbrush-banning will protect you from. Errrr, doesn’t all this nonsense overlook the fact that, even ignoring the weight issue, these women are much more attractive/stylish/striking than the typical woman and so represent an unachievable image anyway. Whilst the average person might aspire towards their look, to think you could completely achieve it is a fallacy that no amount of airbrush-banning will protect you from.

]]> By: Monty http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-10095 Monty Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:54:24 +0000 http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/#comment-10095 "I don’t think that splattering pictures of extremely thin women everywhere helps women with the body issues that they are almost certain to have to face due to today’s airbrushed, pixel-perfect print media." Sorry but that's nonsense. Women have always aspired to the prevailing fashion, long before stick-thin models appeared in the magazines. The pressure isn't external, it is coming from the woman in the mirror. And the magazines are not there to help women with body issues, they are there to make money. They do that by publishing the things women want to read about. Most women, and most men, are actually mature enough to accept their imperfect selves, and get on with enjoying life. But there is a small minority of self-obsessed crybabies who can't find the integrity to do that. They shouldn't be allowed to curb the freedoms of anyone else. “I don’t think that splattering pictures of extremely thin women everywhere helps women with the body issues that they are almost certain to have to face due to today’s airbrushed, pixel-perfect print media.”

Sorry but that’s nonsense. Women have always aspired to the prevailing fashion, long before stick-thin models appeared in the magazines. The pressure isn’t external, it is coming from the woman in the mirror.

And the magazines are not there to help women with body issues, they are there to make money. They do that by publishing the things women want to read about.

Most women, and most men, are actually mature enough to accept their imperfect selves, and get on with enjoying life. But there is a small minority of self-obsessed crybabies who can’t find the integrity to do that. They shouldn’t be allowed to curb the freedoms of anyone else.

]]> By: Eva http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-10086 Eva Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:37:17 +0000 http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/#comment-10086 "I don’t think that splattering pictures of extremely thin women everywhere helps women with the body issues that they are almost certain to have to face due to today’s airbrushed, pixel-perfect print media" No woman *has* to face body issues unless she chooses to stop thinking. Women who take Vogue seriously won't be helped by censoring photographers, they simply need to learn to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Very few men demand thinness or physical perfection as a prerequisite for a decent relationship - this about women competing with each other and supporting a world-wide weight-loss industry that rakes in more than the GNP of some small countries. They're the same idiots who pay vast sums for the privilege of offering their derrieres as advertising space for designers, buy handbags for £1,500 that cost the manufacturer a tenner to produce, and think they're getting value for money when buying a 1.5 oz pot of face cream for £150 that's made of ingredients that come in industrial-sized drums costing £50. Maybe the fashion industry really is the only exception to the saying that one can't fool all of the people all of the time. “I don’t think that splattering pictures of extremely thin women everywhere helps women with the body issues that they are almost certain to have to face due to today’s airbrushed, pixel-perfect print media”

No woman *has* to face body issues unless she chooses to stop thinking. Women who take Vogue seriously won’t be helped by censoring photographers, they simply need to learn to distinguish between fantasy and reality.

Very few men demand thinness or physical perfection as a prerequisite for a decent relationship – this about women competing with each other and supporting a world-wide weight-loss industry that rakes in more than the GNP of some small countries.

They’re the same idiots who pay vast sums for the privilege of offering their derrieres as advertising space for designers, buy handbags for £1,500 that cost the manufacturer a tenner to produce, and think they’re getting value for money when buying a 1.5 oz pot of face cream for £150 that’s made of ingredients that come in industrial-sized drums costing £50.

Maybe the fashion industry really is the only exception to the saying that one can’t fool all of the people all of the time.

]]> By: TDK http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-10083 TDK Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:40:33 +0000 http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/#comment-10083 Shoes that create the illusion of height. Shoes that create the illusion of height.

]]> By: TDK http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-10082 TDK Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:39:42 +0000 http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/#comment-10082 No I agree. No make up either, men or women. Control underwear outlawed. Shoes that create No I agree. No make up either, men or women. Control underwear outlawed. Shoes that create

]]> By: JuliaM http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-10080 JuliaM Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:45:48 +0000 http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/#comment-10080 <i>"Magazines could be banned from using airbrushed photographs of celebrities that make them look slimmer over fears that they are promoting unrealistic body images."</i> I'm confused, I thought we were all meant to be cowering from the Great Obesity Crisis, yet now suddenly we are supposed to be fearing the Great Size Zero image. Which is currently winning again...? “Magazines could be banned from using airbrushed photographs of celebrities that make them look slimmer over fears that they are promoting unrealistic body images.”

I’m confused, I thought we were all meant to be cowering from the Great Obesity Crisis, yet now suddenly we are supposed to be fearing the Great Size Zero image.

Which is currently winning again…?

]]> By: sanbikinoraion http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-10079 sanbikinoraion Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:30:56 +0000 http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/#comment-10079 I dunno, I kind of think that the press should have some kind of requirement to report <i>what they see</i> rather than what they'd <i>like</i> to see. I don't think that splattering pictures of extremely thin women everywhere helps women with the body issues that they are almost certain to have to face due to today's airbrushed, pixel-perfect print media. I dunno, I kind of think that the press should have some kind of requirement to report what they see rather than what they’d like to see. I don’t think that splattering pictures of extremely thin women everywhere helps women with the body issues that they are almost certain to have to face due to today’s airbrushed, pixel-perfect print media.

]]> By: Mark Wadsworth http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-10067 Mark Wadsworth Wed, 02 Apr 2008 10:08:52 +0000 http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/#comment-10067 First they came for the size zero models. Then they came for the lard-arses... Does James Purnell have a view on all this photoshopping nonsense? First they came for the size zero models. Then they came for the lard-arses…

Does James Purnell have a view on all this photoshopping nonsense?

]]> By: Tim Newman http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-10066 Tim Newman Wed, 02 Apr 2008 09:56:06 +0000 http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/#comment-10066 What about pictures of women like Maria Sharapova who looks incredibly good and slim without airbrushing? Are they going to fatten her up a bit on photoshop? What about pictures of women like Maria Sharapova who looks incredibly good and slim without airbrushing? Are they going to fatten her up a bit on photoshop?

]]> By: Eva http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-10059 Eva Wed, 02 Apr 2008 07:59:47 +0000 http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/#comment-10059 How about just a simple label on the cover: 'Warning - contains images that have been altered for your greater viewing pleasure and persons depicted may have been surgically enhanced. These may be disturbing or dangerous to your mental health' How about just a simple label on the cover:

‘Warning – contains images that have been altered for your greater viewing pleasure and persons depicted may have been surgically enhanced. These may be disturbing or dangerous to your mental health’

]]> By: The Englishman http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-10057 The Englishman Wed, 02 Apr 2008 07:48:02 +0000 http://timworstall.com/2008/04/02/press-freedom/#comment-10057 I think the phrase should be "two hooters" - airbrushed hooters give hours of <strike> innocent</strike> pleasure to many. I think the phrase should be “two hooters” – airbrushed hooters give hours of innocent pleasure to many.

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